Quick Guide to Combining Text and Images

When photos and text combine, they send out a strong message. This is why content and design should always work together. There are a lot of techniques for showcasing photos and text. Here's a quick guide.

To start off, you need to clearly define the purpose of your project and also determine what your priority is. Is the text more important than the picture? Is the picture more important than the text? Are the text and picture equally important?

After locking down your requirements, it's time to open up Photoshop or any image editing software. Start with the basic combination, which is "text overlay on image." To do this, open up the image and then look for empty space. In the image above, the black space above the astronaut is the empty area you can use for your text overlay. Use the font that suits best what you are trying to say and you're ready to put in your message.

If text is more important, then you can create an empty layer and write down your text first and make it as significant and bold as possible. Then look into your library of photos to find what's most relevant and fits best with the particular text. After you have found the image, you have either the option to put the image in the back of the text or, use mask to wrap the image around the text.

As for colours, it is very important what colour palette you use for the composition. To finalize a good colour palette, you must first decide if your medium of delivery is going to be digital or print. If it is print, you need to choose what will look good in dull light, on harsh paper, and such. For example, its nearly impossible to read yellow on white paper, and your campaign might just end up being a waste of time. Play with some markers to see which colours stand out and reflect your idea best. Similarly, in digital, play with colours in Photoshop, or check the Web for inspiration.

Lastly, always make sure the text is legible. By all means, play around with unexpected combinations of fonts and colors, and you can even experiment with how the words are laid out on the page. The important thing is that any text you put against your image comes out clear and easy to read.

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